Ohio man gets $2M bond on child-buying sex charges

ALLIANCE, Ohio (AP) -- A judge has ordered that a northeast Ohio man be held on $2 million bond on charges that he tried to pay $400 for a 10-year-old girl to keep at home for sex.

The defendant, 36-year-old Robert W. Thomas of Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH'-guh) Falls, had a public defender appointed for him Monday in Alliance Municipal Court near Canton. A preliminary hearing was set for Friday.

The public defender's office in Canton declined to comment.

Thomas was arrested Saturday night after allegedly asking someone online to arrange a "marriage" between him and their daughter.

An undercover Alliance officer says Thomas told him he wanted to keep the child permanently at his home for sex.

He's charged with human trafficking, attempting to commit kidnapping and to commit rape and possession of criminal tools.